When more than 100 people are left stranded on the Kalalau Trail, we want to figure out a way to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Building a bridge over Hanakapiai has been mentioned. A most basic wooden model, sturdy
When more than 100 people are left stranded on the Kalalau Trail, we want to figure out a way to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Building a bridge over Hanakapiai has been mentioned. A most basic wooden model, sturdy and strong, a few beams and a railing, could probably be constructed without crazy costs and causing environmental damage of some sort. And yes, it might even keep hikers from being stuck for hours or even overnight when the stream rises. There are bridges over streams and rivers throughout Glacier National Park in Montana, for instance, and they come in pretty handy. Never hear about someone being trapped on the wrong side of a river there.
But a bridge over the Hanakapiai stream is not the answer.
The Kalalau Trail is difficult. It always has been and it always will be. Just consider the setting. What makes this trail so special is that it is demanding. We’re talking about a rugged path with rocks and roots, ups and down, throughout. This is not a place for a Sunday stroll. We don’t need to start building bridges to make it easier for more people. Next thing, someone will be calling for the first mile to be paved and we’ll hear, for the sake of political correctness, it’s being considered.
And no guarantee, either, about a bridge over Hanakapiai. Someone could still manage to fall in the water. It might even cause more problems, with some who might have turned back there instead forging farther ahead when they shouldn’t have.
With Kalalau, you go in knowing it’s a challenge. It’s an adventure. It’s a test of your abilities and resolve. That’s why anyone trying it needs to plan and be prepared. They should be ready for the physical rigors required for this trail. A little something called personal responsibility should be the No. 1 priority of anyone taking the trail. Sadly, lives have been lost here. For that, we are sorry. But a bridge isn’t an assurance of safety.
Charlie Cobb-Adams has the right proposal if we want to reduce the chances for people being stranded on the wrong side of Hanakapiai. He is pushing for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to reopen an old, overgrown trail that runs to Hanakapiai Falls on the near side of the stream. We like the idea of another trail.
A basket zip line has been mentioned, but that doesn’t seem necessary and, again, is not a guarantee of a safe trip across a swollen stream. It could result in those inexperienced in the outdoors suffering injuries attempting to use it.
The DLNR estimates 500,000 people hike the two miles of Kalalau Trail to Hanakapiai each year. The majority return to their vehicles safe and sound. A few are injured when they fall and end up with twisted ankles, bum knees and hurting hips, and perhaps even need to be airlifted out. And a few times a year, the stream will rise due to heavy rain, and some hikers will be stranded. They don’t need a bridge. They just need to know that’s part of the risk when you cross Hanakapiai.
